Musica Da Camera
String Orchestra
Holy Covenant Anglican
Church, Cook 17 November
Reviewed by Len Power
Musica Da Camera String Orchestra’s concert was an
easy-going and enjoyable mix of classic favourites that would be well-known to
most music lovers.
Musical director, Gillian Bailey-Graham, gave brief but
informative notes about each work before the orchestra played them. Five violin soloists joined the orchestra for
particular works.
The program commenced with a nicely played Concerto for Four
Violins in B minor by Vivaldi. Rosemary
Macphail, Jocelyn James, John Dobson and Heng Lin Yeap played their solos with
skill and warmth and the final movement was especially well-played.
Two pieces by Elgar followed – Salut d’Amor and Chanson de
Matin. The orchestra gave the first work
a lush, romantic sound and the second work was notable for the emotional depth
in the sound produced by the orchestra.
13 year old Chantelle Bennett joined the orchestra as
soloist for Massenet’s ‘Meditation’. As
this is such a well-known work, the pressure is on any soloist to meet the expectations
of an audience. Bennett played with
great beauty and precision, making this one of the highlights of the program.
Other short works by Sibelius, Delibes and Dvořák were
played very well and another highlight of the concert was Corelli’s ‘Christmas
Concerto’. The orchestra gave a crisp,
very atmospheric performance of this work that was most enjoyable.
Rosemary Mcphail played the solo violin for ‘Czardas’ by
Monti with great feeling, bringing out the raw passion in this work and the
concert concluded with the audience favourite, ‘The Radetsky March’ by Johann
Strauss.
This was another very pleasant concert by Musica Da
Camera. The works presented might be
familiar from recordings and the radio, but hearing them played live added
another dimension, especially as the orchestra played them very well and with
such obvious pleasure.
This review was first
published in the Canberra City News digital edition of 18 November 2018.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast in his ‘On Stage’ performing arts radio program on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 3.30pm on Artsound FM 92.7.
